Belt press



July 22, 1941. H. A. TRl'sHMAN Err-AL BELT PRESS Filed Jun@ 30, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS HARRY A. e/sHMn/v mvo Games 5. HND/eus I BY gf/Wa@g ATTORNEYS July 22, 1941.

H. A. 'rRxsHMAN Erm- 2,250,335

BELT PRESS Filed June 50, 1958 u 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN'roRs HARRY A. TmsHMA/v AND GEoRG/f 5. AND/ws.

ATTORN EYS JUE/"22, 1941- H. A. TRlsHMAN Erm. r 2,250,335

BELT PRESS l Filed June 50, `1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS HARRY A 77?/5H/vA/v No G50/mf 5. HND/eus ATTORNEYS ENl Patented July 22, 1941 OFFICE BELT PRE S S Harry A. Trishman, Cuyahoga Falls, and George S. Andrus, Akron, Chio, assignors to The Adamson Machine Company, Akron, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application June so, 193s, serial No. 216,706 t 2 cams. rc1. is-rz) This invention relates to belt presses such as are used in the rubber industry for vulcanizing conveyor belts and transmission belts of rubber and fabric that are made in long lengths and more especially it relates to improved means for applying longitudinal tension to the belts as they are being vulcanized.

Belt presses of thev character mentioned usually comprise three platens so that two belts may be vulcanized at one time. For imparting tension to the belts, uid pressure operated belt-gripping mechanisms are employed, each belt being gripped at one end by a device that has no movement parallel to the plane of the belt, and being gripped at the other end by a device that has determinate movement parallel to the plane of the press. After both devices have gripped a belt, movement of the latter device away from the press imparts the desired tension to the belt.V

This is done before the press closes upon the belt to vulcanize the same. There are two belt-gripping devices at each end of the belt press for concurrently tensioning two belts therein, one of said devices being movable parallel to the plane of the belts and the other being iiXed against such movement.

In the closing of the vulcanizer, the lower platen rises until the intermediate platen is engaged, and then both rise until the stationary upper platen is engaged. Elevation of the platens carries upwardly the unvulcanized, tensioned belts thereon, and it is essential that the belttensioning structures rise concurrently with and at the same speed as the belts in order that the proper tension on the belts will be maintained. Heretofore various means have been employed for elevating the belt tensioning structures. For example, said structures have beenvcarried by the respective movable platens, but their great Weight, especially on the larger presses, has caused the platens to flex or warp with resulting deleterious effect upon the product. In another construction, fluid pressure means have been employed for elevating the belt-stretchers, but even slight leakage in the gaskets or fluid pressure lines causes the stretchers to be out of synchronism with the platens, with resulting non-uniformity of stretch in the nished product.

The chief object of this invention is to provide, in a belt press of the character mentioned,

improved means for operating the belt-tensioning l devices in synchrenism with the operation of the platens of the press. Other objects will be manifest as the speciiication proceeds.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of av belt press embodying the invention, in its pre.- ferred form; Y

Figure 2 is a detail end elevation thereof as viewed from the right of Fig. l; and

Figure 3 is a sectionon the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to Figure lof the drawings, there is shown the essential elements of a belt press that comprises a lower platen IU, an intermediate platen I I, and an upper platen I2. The lower platen III is carried by an elongated press head I3 that is raised and lowered by a plurality of hydraulic rams Ill, I4 operating in unison. 'I'he :upper platen I2 is supported by a plurality of and Il, the lower belt I6 resting upon lower platen Ill and the upper belt I 'I resting upon intermediate platen II, the press being in open position with the platens spaced apart from each other, The platens are steam vheated to vulcanizing temperature in the usual manner.

For imparting determinate tension to the belts I, I'l during the vulcanization thereofv belt tensioning devices for therespective belts are positioned at both ends of the press. Thus the rlower belt I6 is engaged at one end by a device that is broadly designated A, which device is xed againstA lateral movement toward or away yfrom the press. r'Ihe other end of belt I6 is engaged by a tensioning ydevice B that is movable laterally toward and away from the press, in the direction Aol the length thereof, to impart tension to the belt. In like manner the upper belt II is engaged at one end by a tensioning device C that is xed against movement longitudinally of the press, and at its other end by a device D that is movable longitudinally of the press. Tensioning devices A and D are located at one end of the press and devices B and C are located at the other end thereof. The structures previously described are of standard construction and well known in the art. The belt tensioning structures A andB require to be elevated and lowered in unison in synchronism with the raising and lowering of the lower press platen I0, and the structures C and Drequireto be similarly raised and lowered.y

2|, 22 and 23 that are arranged in pairs at differ-.

ent elevations, said frame members being con-` nected to the platen press at top and bottom by heavy channel members 24, 25 respectively. Formed on the lateral margins. of each. frame member 2U are nished regions 26, 25 which regions constitute a slideway for a vertically movable slide 21, the latterconsisting of lateral members, 21a, 21aA thatl are connected to each other by transverse members 28, 28. Thelateral members 21a of the slide 21 each have a projecting portion in overhanging relation to the frame 20, which projecting portion is formed, laterally of the frame, with an elongated horizontalslot 3D that constitutes aslidewayfor a horizontally movableslide 3|, the end portions ofV thelatter being mounted in said slideway. Thel slide 3| is reciproable longitudinally ofthe slideway. 33, andvfor affecting reciprocation of said slide, ears 3,2, 32, Fig., 2, that are formed on the respective endsthereof project through the slots 30, and on the` outer side thereof are connected to the ends,4 of respective piston rods.334, 33 of horizontally disposed fluid pressure operated cylinders 34, 34,. thesame 'being carried. by the respective lateral members 21.a.of the slide 21. The. slide 3|. comprises means for gripping the lower .belt I6 to be vulcanized, and to this end the. uppersurface of the cross-piece of said slide. is' finished, as indicated at 35, `1*"ig.3, toconstitute one ,elementof a work-gripping structure, said surface 35 I being substantially in horizontal alignmentwith the4 top face of lower platen l0 of .the press. Opposed Yto the work-gripping surface 35. is a vertically movable gripper beam 36, the end portions ofwhich are slidably mounted in the slide structure 3| .at opposite sides thereof. Also carried .byf the slide structure 3|V at opposite sides thereof are respective fluid pressure operated cylinders 31, 31, thev latterbeing arranged on vertical axes and having` downwardly extending. piston rods38 that are connectedat their ends to the ends of. the gripper beam 36. The cylinders 31. are arranged to operate in unisonto causethe beamf36,to conne the belt I6 between itself and the surface 35, and the cylinders. 34.. are arranged to. operate in unison to move theslide 3| in the direction awayv from the press to impart tension tothe belt I6, it being understoodthat .tensioning means A is provided at the opposite end of the press for gripping the belt thereat to hold it in opposition to the pull of the slide 3| of tensioning means B.

Tensioning `means C for the upper belt |1 comprises a vertically movable slide 40-that is mounted .upon ,vertically disposed slideways 4|, 4| on the inner faces of the respective lateral frame members 20. The slide 40 spans the space between frame members. 20, and comprises a iinished upper, surface 42 that constitutes one elementv of a work-gripping structure, said surface being substantially in horizontal alignment withA the top face of intermediate platen of the press. Opposed to the work-gripping surface 42 is a vertically movable gripper beam 43, the end portions of which are slidably mounted in the slide structure 40 at the opposite sides thereof. Also carried by the slide structure 40, at the opposite sides thereof, are respective uid pressure operated cylinders 44, 44 that are arranged on vertical axes and have downwardly extending piston rods 45 that are connected at their ends to the ends of the gripper beam 43. The cylinders 44 are arranged to operate in unison to cause the beam 43 to confine the belt |1 between itself and the surface 42. The tensioning means C is arranged to hold the work |1. in opposition to the tensioning means D at the opposite end of the press, the tensioning means D being` similar to tensioning means B previously described in that it is movable in the direction of the length of the press and thereby adapted to apply tension to the work.

As previously stated, during the operation of the press, after the belts I6, |1.have been placed under` determinate tension by the tensioning devices described, it is essential that the belt tensioning instrumentalities rise and descend in synchronism with the rise and fall of the platens i0, ||.V 'Io this end the slide 3| of tensioning device B as two racks 46, 46 secured thereto and extending downwardly therefrom, said racks being mounted upon suitable slideways formed on the rear margins` of the respective lateral frame members 2|). Meshed with respective racks 46 are pinions 41, 41 that are mounted upon a shaft 4B, the latter being journaled at its respective ends in bearing brackets 49 carried upon bracketlike projections 50. on the frame members 2U. For turning the `shaft 48, the latter has mounted thereon two, spaced apart, grooved drums 5|, 5|, each of which has one end of a cable 52 secured thereto, several convolutions of the cable being wound about the drum. The mean diameter of each drum 5| is thesame as the pitch diameter of each pinionv 41. From the drum 5| each cable 52 extends toward the platen press, being trained about a sheave 53 that is journaled at 54 on the frame of the press and having its end connected to a fixture 55 that is secured to the lower platen I0 of the press.4 The cable 524may include a turnbuckle 56for taking up stretch therein. The arrangementis such that when the lower platen |0 of the press rises, the cables 52 are drawn 01T thedrums 5|., thus effecting rotation of the latter and the shaft 48 and pinions 41 in clockwise directionA asshown in Figs. 1 and 3, with the result that racks 46 are moved upwardly and carry with them the slide 21 andthe belt tensioning mechanism thereon that constitutes the tensioning device B. Because the drums 5| and the pinions 41 are the same effective .diam-.

eter, the rise of the device B will be at exactly the samespeed as the rise of the platen I0, so that no added strain is placed,` upon the work. The weight of the .tensioning device B is such as to cause it to descend by gravity while the platen l0 of the press is being lowered, the interposed gearing between, platen and tensioning device preventing the latter fromA descending faster than the platen. At the opposite end of the press the tensioning device A is connected to the lower platen lfor concurrent vertical move,- ment therewith in the same manner as tension-. ing ldevice B.

For raising and lowering the tensioning devvice C in synchronism with the rise and `fall of the intermedi-ate platen Il, the slide 40 of the `device C is provided with two racks, such as the rack 58, that extend downwardly therefrom, said racks being mounted in suitable slideways on the inner faces of the respective lateral frame members 20, as is best shown in Fig. 3. Meshed with 'the respective racks 58 lare pinions 59 that are mounted upon the respective ends of Ia shaft 50, the latter being journaled in bearing brackets 61, 6| carried upon bracket-like projections E2, 62 on the respective lateral frame membersl 20. For turning the shaft 6U, the latter has mounted thereon two, spaced apart, grooved drums, such as the drum 63, Fig. '2, each of which drums has a cable '64 secured thereto, several convolutions of the cable being wound about the drum. The mean diameter of each ldrum 63 is the same as the pitch diameter of the pinions 59. From the drum 63 each cable 64 extends toward the platen press, being trained about a sh-eave 65 that is journaled at 66 on the frame of the press and having its end secured to a fixture 61 that is mounted upon the intermediate platen H of the press. The cable 64 may include a turnbuckle 68 for taking up any stretch therein. The a-rrangement is such that rising movement of the intermediate platen l l will elevate the tensioning device C in same manner that lower platen I elevates tensioning device B.

In order to facilitate the elevating of tensioning device C, ia pair of spaced apart grooved pulleys 10, 'l0 are mounted upon shaft 60. Secured at one end to each pulley 10 is a cable 'Il that is trained over the pulley and has a counterweight 12 secured .to its other end. Shallow pits (not sh-own) may be provided for receiving the counterweights 12. The cable Il is so arranged upon pulley that counterweight 12 normally urges the pulley, and the shaft `BIJ, to rotation in the direction that effects the lifting of the tensioning device C. In the opening of the press, the weight 'of the tensioning device C is sufficient to cause it to 4descend by gravity, in opposition to the static load imposed by the counterweights 12. In the open position of the press shown in Fig. 1, the counterweights 12 support a part of the weight of the tensioning devi-ce C, so that the entire weight thereof is not required to be sustained by the floating intermediate platen I I. At the oppositeend of the press the tensioning device D is connected to the intermediate platen Il for -concurrent vertical movement therewith in the same manner as tensioning device C.

It is believed that the operation of the apparatus will be apparent from the foregoing description thereof. The work-tensioning devices rise and descend in synchronism with the rise and fall of the press pla-tens, thus resulting in a Isuperior product having uniform stretch characteris'tics throughout its length. It will be understood that the two operating cables that extend from each belt-tensioning device to a platen are connected to the latter at opposite sides thereof, thereby equalizin-g the strain-s to which the platens are subject.

Modification may be resorted Ito without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed ist l. In a belt press, the combination of a platen, means for lifting and lowering the same to close and open the press, belt .tensioning devices at opposite ends of the press, each of said belt tensioning devices comprising means for raising and lowering the s-ame, which means lcomprises a rack that is secured thereto, a pinion meshed with said rack, a drum having driving connection with said pinion, and a cable wound about said drum and so connected to said platen that vertical movement of the latter eifects longitudinal movement of said cable to rotate said drum.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which the mean `diameter of the drum and .the pitch diameter of the pinion are equal.

HARRY A. TRISHMAN. GEORGE S. ANDRUS. 

